August 24th, 2022
The most well-known Bible verse is probably John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” Most of us can say this Bible verse without thinking, but the reason that it’s quoted over and over again is because it really is the theme of the Bible.
For God so loved the world that He gave that which was most precious to Him—Jesus. 1 John 3:9 tells us that Jesus was God’s seed. He allowed Jesus to suffer and die in order that He would receive a harvest—which is us. Just as a seed must die to produce fruit, Jesus gave His life so that we could live (John 12:24). The Bible goes on in John 3:17-19 saying,
“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.”
The sacrifice that Jesus must be received in faith and repentance. There will always be those that choose to reject Him, to love darkness rather than light. However, the Gospel carries the power to bring people to salvation (Romans 1:16) and Jesus said that when He is lifted up He will draw all men to Him (John 12:32).
This is the fundamental truth of the Gospel, however, there’s more that has been on my heart this week that I want to share with you. Romans 10:12-14 says,
‘For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”’
God loved the world and gave His absolutely best for it. He so loved the world He held nothing back, longing that all men would know salvation; desiring that the effects of sin would be broken; and willing that every work of the enemy would be destroyed. God did not leave His love in question. He has freely given every good thing! The question is how much do we love the world? Jesus wasn’t so focused on “spiritual” things that He neglected the world around Him. He stopped for blind beggars and grieving mothers. He laid His hands on children and called sinners to repentance. He loved the world with His life and His death. He gave absolutely everything, just as His Father asked Him to. What are we going to do with that kind of love? 1 John 2:15-16 says,
“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.”
Love for the world is not love for the things of the world; it’s love for the people in. This doesn’t mean that God doesn’t want us to have good things on earth, but simply that love for riches and pride in possessions will blind us to what’s important. The Bible calls this the “deceitfulness of riches” (Matt. 13:22). Love for the world is love and compassion for the people God made and loves. 1 John 4:7-11 says,
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”
The natural response to receiving God’s love should be loving the world around us. Jesus ascended to heaven and made us His hands and feet. What a beautiful responsibility! Are we doing what Jesus would do when we walk into a room? Are we loving people with the love that Jesus does? Are we listening to the Holy Spirit and stopping to talk to the one that may be just waiting for someone to share the Gospel? The Bible says that the fields are white for the harvest, but the laborers in the field are few (Matt. 9:35-38).
1 John 3:16-18 says,
“By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.”
This week, I encourage you to remember that as a believer, you live in this world, but you are not of it. We are a heavenly people, born again with the seed of heaven—Jesus Christ—dwelling on the inside of us. That kind of love has to be shared. There is a world out there desperate to know that there is a God that so loved them that He gave everything. The question is not how much He loves the world; the question is how much do we?
For God so loved the world that He gave that which was most precious to Him—Jesus. 1 John 3:9 tells us that Jesus was God’s seed. He allowed Jesus to suffer and die in order that He would receive a harvest—which is us. Just as a seed must die to produce fruit, Jesus gave His life so that we could live (John 12:24). The Bible goes on in John 3:17-19 saying,
“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.”
The sacrifice that Jesus must be received in faith and repentance. There will always be those that choose to reject Him, to love darkness rather than light. However, the Gospel carries the power to bring people to salvation (Romans 1:16) and Jesus said that when He is lifted up He will draw all men to Him (John 12:32).
This is the fundamental truth of the Gospel, however, there’s more that has been on my heart this week that I want to share with you. Romans 10:12-14 says,
‘For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”’
God loved the world and gave His absolutely best for it. He so loved the world He held nothing back, longing that all men would know salvation; desiring that the effects of sin would be broken; and willing that every work of the enemy would be destroyed. God did not leave His love in question. He has freely given every good thing! The question is how much do we love the world? Jesus wasn’t so focused on “spiritual” things that He neglected the world around Him. He stopped for blind beggars and grieving mothers. He laid His hands on children and called sinners to repentance. He loved the world with His life and His death. He gave absolutely everything, just as His Father asked Him to. What are we going to do with that kind of love? 1 John 2:15-16 says,
“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.”
Love for the world is not love for the things of the world; it’s love for the people in. This doesn’t mean that God doesn’t want us to have good things on earth, but simply that love for riches and pride in possessions will blind us to what’s important. The Bible calls this the “deceitfulness of riches” (Matt. 13:22). Love for the world is love and compassion for the people God made and loves. 1 John 4:7-11 says,
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”
The natural response to receiving God’s love should be loving the world around us. Jesus ascended to heaven and made us His hands and feet. What a beautiful responsibility! Are we doing what Jesus would do when we walk into a room? Are we loving people with the love that Jesus does? Are we listening to the Holy Spirit and stopping to talk to the one that may be just waiting for someone to share the Gospel? The Bible says that the fields are white for the harvest, but the laborers in the field are few (Matt. 9:35-38).
1 John 3:16-18 says,
“By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.”
This week, I encourage you to remember that as a believer, you live in this world, but you are not of it. We are a heavenly people, born again with the seed of heaven—Jesus Christ—dwelling on the inside of us. That kind of love has to be shared. There is a world out there desperate to know that there is a God that so loved them that He gave everything. The question is not how much He loves the world; the question is how much do we?
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